Truck ban sought for two roads

SOUTHBOROUGH - Residents of Latisquama Road say they have tired of big trucks and buses rolling down their narrow street and hope to have the state ban trucks from using it.

Charlie Breitrose/Daily News staff

Residents of Latisquama Road say they have tired of big trucks and buses rolling down their narrow street and hope to have the state ban trucks from using it.

The road stretches between East Main Street and White Bagley Road, which connects to Rte. 9, and residents say the road is narrow and has started cracking from the trucks.

"Our concern is safety," said Thomas McCarthy, a Latisquama resident pushing for the truck ban. "On one end of the road the width is less than 14 feet."

McCarthy said he has talked with owners of local trucking companies about not using Latisquama, which works for a while but eventually they start rolling down the street again. "I would like not to have to rely on the good faith of people," McCarthy said.

Main Street is exempted from trucks, McCarthy said, so they should not be using Latisquama.

"There is no pass-through for trucks," McCarthy said. "There is no reason they should be going through Latisquama."

White Bagley Road resident Grace Borelli said she worried that trucks would just start coming down her street if they are prevented from using Latisquama.

Selectmen voted to ask the Massachusetts Highway Department to determine whether trucks could be excluded from both Latisquama and White Bagley.

MassHighway spokesman Eric Abell said after the department receives a request, MassHighway will ask the town to conduct a study. When that is completed state officials will examine the results to see whether the road meets the criteria.

"They will look at the percentage of trucks that fall into that category using the road, the impact on the quality of road or impacts to the neighborhood," Abell said.

To get an exclusion, a viable alternate route must be available, Abell said, and if the road impacts another community that other community must approve of the alternate route.

The town cannot mark the roads as truck excluded until the state gives approval, said Public Works Superintendent Karen Galligan, but some action can be taken. Because Main Street is excluded, Galligan said, the town could warn truck drivers that they are approaching an exclusion zone.

"We could put up 'Truck Exclusion Ahead' signs," Galligan said.

Selectmen voted to approve the exclusion signs.

(Charlie Breitrose can be reached at 508-490-7461 or cbreitro@cnc.com.)

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